LONG AN CULTURE: Many traditional art and theatre shows were staged during the 2024 Long An Province Cultural - Sport – Tourism Week that closed yesterday (December 4). The week aimed to promote local culture and tourism to lure domestic and foreign visitors. Photo courtesy of longan.gvn.vn.

LONG AN — The South’s history is the theme of a new show staged by traditional artists from the Long An Cải Lương Theatre. 

The work, called Người Con Của Rừng Tràm (The People of the Melaleuca Forest), features cải lương (reformed opera), the 100-year-old gerne of the southern traditional music art.

It tells the stories of farmers living in the Cửu Long (Mekong) River Delta province of Long An, who have made sacrifices and contributions to protect, build and develop their homeland. 

The province’s deep culture and lifestyle are also highlighted.

The show stars Meritorious Artist Ngọc Đợi and Vương Tuấn as lead characters. 

They perform vọng cổ (nostalgic tunes), cải lương and tuồng or hát bội (classical drama), traditional theatre genres from the southern and central regions. 

“My artists will try their best to bring the original tunes of the South’s traditional theatre to audiences,” said the play’s director Hồ Ngọc Trinh. “We want to encourage youngsters to learn more about their country’s history and culture through traditional theatre.”

FARMERS' TALES - Artists from the Long An Cải Lương Theatre perform in Người Con Của Rừng Tràm (The People of the Melaleuca Forest), a production that features cải lương (reformed opera), the 100-year-old gerne of Southern theatre. The show tells the stories of farmers who have sacrificed and contributed for their homeland. Photo courtesy of Long An Cải Lương Theatre.

People's Artist Trinh has worked with the Long An Radio & Television to produce and release a series of shows featuring Long An’s history and culture. 

These shows have attracted millions of young people in Long An and the provinces of the Cửu Long region back to Vietnamese theatre.  

Người Con Của Rừng Tràm is Trinh’s latest play which targets youth. It is scheduled to air on the Long An TV fanpage and FM-96.9MhZ.

The work was debuted at the 2024 Long An Province Cultural - Sport – Tourism Week that closed on December 4. 

The week aimed to promote local culture and tourism to lure domestic and foreign visitors.

It featured many art and cultural activities, including a cultural exchange space, sport and music competitions, and a conference to solicit investment in Long An - South Korea tourism, and to promote Long An’s tourism potential and its image as a safe, friendly and attractive destination. 

Highlighted events included traditional music and dance shows featuring hundreds of performers from leading art troupes of Long An and other provinces in the region. — VNS